PoetAnthology - Elizabeth Barrett Browning 6th

	Biography and Works On March 6,1806, in Durham, England, Elizabeth Barrett Browning was born. She grew up in a wealthy family with eleven brothers and sisters. She was highly educated, having taught her self nearly everything. She was very interested in learning new languages, this helped her in writing her poems. When she was twenty-two, her mother passed away. She wrote about this loss in her novel/poem, Aurora Leigh. In 1846, Elizabeth married Robert Browning. In 1849, they had a son together, Robert Wiedeman Barrett Browning. On June 29,1861, she died. Some of her most famous works are Sonnet 43, Sonnet 14, and The Best Thing in the World.
Sonnet 43-How do I love thee? Let me count the ways by Elizabeth Barrett Browning How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of Being and ideal Grace. I love thee to the level of everyday's Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. I love thee freely, as men strive for Right; I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise. I love thee with the passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints,—I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life!—and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death.	My first reaction to this poem was that it was sweet because Elizabeth is expressing her love to her husband, Robert Browning. There are no poetic devices being used. Rhyme Scheme: A,B,B,A,A,B,B,A,C,D,C,E,C,E A is ways and it uses the ay sound B is height and it uses the ight sound B is sight and it uses the ight sound like height A is grace and it uses the ay sound like ways A is everyday's and it uses the ay sound like ways and grace B is candle-light and it uses the ight sound like height and sight B is right and it uses the ight sound like height,sight,and candle-light A is praise and it uses the ay sound like ways,everyday's, and grace C is use and it uses the oose sound D is faith and it uses the aith sound C is lose and it uses the oose sound like use E is breath and it uses the eth sound C is choose and it uses the oose sound like use and lose E is death and it uses the eth sound like breath no historical content The theme is to love selflessly. You should love someone (as elizabeth loves robert) without expecting anything in return
Sonnet 14 by Elizabeth Barrett Browning If thou must love me, let it be for nought Except for love’s sake only. Do not say “I love her for her smile—her look—her way Of speaking gently,—for a trick of thought That falls in well with mine, and certes brought A sense of pleasant ease on such a day”— For these things in themselves, Belovèd, may Be changed, or change for thee,—and love, so wrought, May be unwrought so. Neither love me for Thine own dear pity’s wiping my cheeks dry,— A creature might forget to weep, who bore Thy comfort long, and lose thy love thereby! But love me for love’s sake, that evermore Thou may’st love on, through love’s eternity.	My first reaction to this poem was that its very true, you should love someone for how they are not for their looks or how you want them to be. There are no poetic devices beng used. Rhyme Scheme: A,B,B,A,A,B,B,A,C,D,C,D,C,E A is nought and it uses the ought sound B is say and it uses the ay sound B is way and it uses the ay sound like way A is thought and it uses the ought sound like nought A is brought and it uses the ought sound like nought and thought B is day and it uses the ay sound like say and way B is may and it uses the ay sound like say,way,and day A is wrought and it uses the ought sound like nought,thought, and brought C is for and it uses the or sound D is dry and it uses the i sound C is bore and it uses the or sound like for D is thereby and it uses the i sound like dry C is evermore and it uses the or sound like for and bore E is eternity and it uses the no historical context The theme is that you should love someone for how they truely are and not how what you want them to be or for their looks.
The Best Thing in the World by Elizabeth Barrett Browning What's the best thing in the world? June-rose, by May-dew impearled; Sweet south-wind, that means no rain; Truth, not cruel to a friend; Pleasure, not in haste to end; Beauty, not self-decked and curled Till its pride is over-plain; Love, when, so, you're loved again. What's the best thing in the world? -- Something out of it, I think.	My first reaction to this poem was that the best things in the world are the simplest. There are no poetic devices used. Rhyme Scheme: A,B,C,D,D,E,C,F,A,G A is world and it uses the orld sound B is impearled and it uses the earled sound C is rain and it uses the ain sound D is friend and it uses the end sound D is end and it uses the end sound like friend E is curled and it uses the urled sound C is plain and it uses the ain sound like rain F is again and it uses the en sound A is world and it uses the orld sound like world G is think and it uses the ink sound no historical context The theme is that the best things in the world are not always the most extravagant but the simplest things.
Bibliography http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/ebb/ebbio.html http://poetry.about.com/od/poems/l/blebbrowninglove1.htm //http://www.readprint.com/work-2371/The-Best-Thing-in-the-World-Elizabeth-Barrett-Browning// http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/elizabeth_barrett_browning/poems